Ontological Argument Scholars

Question 1

Kant

Answer 1

• The argument fails because it attributes existence to God in the way one would attribute another characteristic
• Existence is not a predicate

Question 2

Russell

Answer 2

• The failure of the principle of impossibility of contradiction
• “The King of France”

Question 3

Gaunilo

Answer 3

• Thought that the argument made too many unsupported assertion and was entirely based on a logical fallacy
• “Wishful thinking”

Question 4

Descartes

Answer 4

• Though that all had an innate understanding of God, and that this could lead to our understanding that he exists
• “Existence is a defining predicate of God”

Question 5

Gareth Moores response to OA

Answer 5

God compared to the equator- no one claims the equator doesn’t exist, but there isnt a line drawn around the world. Similarly, Gods reality is as real for believers as is the equator

Question 6

Iris Murdochs response to OA

Answer 6

Although Anselms logic seemed flawed what he was actually doing was pointing fo a reason beyond human reasoning. From his failure of reason we catch a glimpse of God’s transcendent being

Question 7

Gottlob Freges criticisms of OA

Answer 7

Gottlob Freges criticisms of OA

• distinguished between first and second order predicates.
• first order predicates tell us something about the nature of something
• second order predicates tells us about concepts
• both Anselm and Descartes seem to use existence as a first order predicate, whereas it is a second order predicate